Chapter 1038: From the Void

Chapter 1038: From the Void

Since the dawn of recorded human history, no physics experiment had ever been terminated solely due to risk after initiation; recognizing risks, taking precautions, and cautiously verifying were the normal responses to the unknown.

This included the controversial hadron collider experiments from the old era, which sparked debate from the very start of construction, as well as extremely dangerous fission-based nuclear reactors.

The reason the expedition team had set up the Seventh Research Institute near the remote 404 Shelter, and gone to great lengths to place the laboratory underground with nuclear-blast-level protection, was precisely a countermeasure against potential risks.

In the most extreme scenario, the Alliance could also blow up the laboratory, using tens of thousands of tons of structural materials to completely bury any unstable "anomalies" that might appear.

And every staff member on the roster was fully aware of these possible risks.

If someone didn't want to take any risks at all, they could just pick up a hoe and go farming—that was the safest job on the wasteland.

Of course, the likelihood of the most extreme scenario occurring was actually not high, much like the rumor that a hadron collider would create a black hole and swallow the solar system.

After all, this wasn't a device built by the precursor civilization itself, but something completed with the help of a certain upright ape named Qiu Shiye; no matter how exaggerated the effects, there was a limit.

To make a simple analogy, it was entirely possible for some Doma person, guided by human civilization, to make black powder and startle others, but relying on a few kilograms of black powder to blow up the entire Gaia planet was just nonsense.

Something as absurd as crushing a planet was something even humans couldn't do.

However, the outcome of this experiment still caught all the researchers off guard.

From the beginning of recorded human history to the present, no physics experiment had ever given birth to a monster not of this world from the very center of the laboratory...

And now, that record was broken.

"Roar—!"

A deafening sound wave and some unknown thing slammed into the glass curtain wall, which was tougher than concrete.

The immense impact not only blew out the speakers in the control room but also covered the glass curtain wall with a dense layer of spiderweb cracks.

Fortunately, Yin Fang's shout of "Retreat!" snapped all the researchers present into action, and they quickly rushed to the control room door, activated manual mode, and opened the power-deprived alloy door.

With everyone's combined effort, the alloy door swiftly opened, and a group filed out.

The situation was extremely critical.

The monster hidden in the darkness rammed again and again, trying to break free from the restraints binding it, while the glass curtain wall let out a groaning sound of unbearable strain!

Yet, not a single person in the control room panicked; everyone remained composed.

The entire evacuation proceeded methodically, with no one scrambling to flee for their lives; everything was just like a safety drill.

People voluntarily formed a line according to rank—those of the lowest rank at the front, and those of the highest rank at the back, leaving the control room as quickly as possible and dashing toward the nearest emergency exit!

Director Dai initially wanted Yin Fang to go ahead of him, but the latter pushed him back.

Looking at the stunned Dai Huai'an, Yin Fang glared at him and said.

"What does the safety manual say!"

Dai Huai'an's face turned slightly pale, and he spoke hurriedly.

"But you're not a researcher of the Seventh Institute—"

Yin Fang cut him off without hesitation.

"I am a resident of Shelter 404, the Alliance's Chief Scientist! In your position, this is an order!"

If a resident of Shelter 404 is present, then the resident of Shelter 404 is always the last to evacuate!

This was a rule he had set himself.

And it had been written into the safety manual from the very founding of the expedition team, and moreover, in the first chapter of the manual!

In the expedition team, rank meant responsibility; the higher the rank, the greater the responsibility. There was never a case of climbing above everyone else and then shirking all responsibility!

It had been the same back at the Academy.

The lowest-level surveyors did the most dangerous work, only to end up bearing the risk of mission failure for the researchers' careers, and after being used up, they received no compensation.

He had tasted that bitterness and would never bring that dross to the Alliance!

If back then he had no choice—he was born into the Academy being that way—now he stood in a position almost identical to that of the "Academy's Chief Technology Officer."

He wanted everyone in the expedition team to remember that once they said "I'll take responsibility," they had to see it through to the end!

Never, when it came time to actually take responsibility, treat those words as if they were just a fart!

As for the idea that his death would be a loss to the Alliance—that was the real bullshit.

People aren't wine; where does the notion of getting better with age come from?

He himself had climbed up from an E-level surveyor, and he had no doubt that another E-level researcher could climb to his current position too!

He also firmly believed that even if he sacrificed his life today to uphold the rules, there would surely be younger, more visionary researchers standing on his shoulders, seeing things he never had the chance to see, and continuing to uphold the rules he had defended, just as he did!

The deafening roar continued, and the sturdy glass curtain wall finally collapsed in an instant, with shattered glass shards blasting like shrapnel toward the opposite wall of the control room!

Everything happened in the blink of an eye!

The explosion occurred less than half a minute after the third set of experiments started, and Yin Fang even felt the surging blast wave at his back.

Fortunately, he wasn't caught by the monster lurking in the darkness.

Just as the glass curtain wall was about to shatter, he managed to escape the control room, stumbling into the corridor.

"Quick! This way!"

Dai Huai'an, running ahead, pulled him, and the two steadied themselves and rushed toward the entrance of the emergency exit.

At that moment, the surface staff manually started the backup generator, and power to the underground passage was immediately restored.

With the sudden light, Lin Dong, running in front, couldn't help but look back and was stunned by what he saw.

"Holy shit..."

It was a gigantic lizard, with tiny, bean-sized eyes densely packed on both sides of its gaping maw, like burst pustules.

Its pitch-black scales exuded an aura of death, reflecting not a single glimmer of light under the incandescent lamps.

It was as if all wavelengths of light were absorbed by those darkest of dark scales!

Was that...

A deathclaw?!

No—

In the face of such a monster, even "Nico" would probably be just a snack; perhaps "Death Monitor" or "Death Maw" would be a more fitting name.

The moment his eyes met those countless bean-sized eyes, the gaping maw slowly opened.

And at that very same moment, a hand grabbed Lin Dong by the collar of his neck, yanking him, who had involuntarily held his breath, forcefully into the emergency exit.

A violent blast of air, accompanied by the deafening roar, bombarded the entire corridor, and even the aftershock that poured into the emergency exit made his internal organs tremble, nearly knocking the wind out of him.

Dragging this reckless former surveyor in front of him, Arick shouted at him loudly.

"What the hell, are you trying to get yourself killed?! Run!!"

Lin Dong had no time to reply and couldn't hear what Arick said, but his feet started moving anyway.

With heavy and frantic steps, the twisting Death Monitor chased after them at an unbelievable speed, reaching the entrance of the emergency exit.

Fortunately, the narrow entrance wedged it at the doorway, with only half its snout able to squeeze in.

Looking at that hideous giant maw, Lin Dong, having escaped death, felt his heart pounding wildly, almost leaping out of his throat.

“What the hell…”

The other researchers wore the same expression.

Seeing that the lizard’s gaping mouth seemed about to roar again, Yin Fang, quick-eyed and swift-handed, punched open the dust cover of the fire alarm button embedded in the wall, lowering the fireproof isolation door of the safety passage.

The alloy folding door descended from above, cutting off the lower half of the safety staircase.

The death giant lizard let out a deafening roar, causing the alloy folding door to tremble, but it seemed to stop there.

“We’re saved…” Dai Huai’an leaned against the wall, breathing a sigh of relief.

Their mission was over.

Next came the fighters’ work…

Just as the group of researchers ran from the underground third-floor lab to the second floor, the underground second floor of the institute was a completely different scene.

At the moment the lab lost power, the twenty-seven players who had been sitting on chairs, idly shaking their legs, instantly stood up as if injected with adrenaline.

All players present were above level 30, not quite T0 or T1 top-tier elites, but still the backbone of the server.

An hour ago, they had received a mission from the Guard Corps to enter the Seventh Institute, where they obtained “Xia Guang” Type III Power Armor, the latest K-12 Heavy Exoskeleton, and bolters improved by Boulder Military Industries, then waited in the upper levels of the institute.

According to veterans who had participated in the “Seven Institute” mission, they only needed to idle in the institute until the mission was complete, without real combat.

Though the mission process was a bit tedious, the rewards were generous, and it allowed them to grind professional experience for the Scientific Expedition Corps and increase favor with key NPCs, so there was always a long queue for the mission, even requiring competition.

Moreover, a big shot who got up several times a night claimed that these researchers, training the treasures he brought back from Alpha Centauri at such high intensity every day, would eventually refine a DLC.

Thus, a rumor circulated on the forums: the “Security Level Upgrade” mission at the Seventh Institute actually had a “hidden mission”!

As everyone knew, “hidden missions” were the key to becoming the version’s chosen one in *Wasteland OL*.

If they could unlock an expansion pack, it would surely be the “opportunity” to advance to T1!

For this reason, aside from a bunch of mid-level players just past level 30, some veteran players in their forties or fifties occasionally came here to try their luck, hoping to find a way to trigger the hidden mission.

“Brothers! Now’s the time!”

“Roar!”

“Prepare for battle!”

Without even needing a reminder from the Guard Corps officer, four level-50 big shots in power armor charged ahead, leading the way into the elevator reserved for security personnel.

With a crisp crack, the drop pod instantly shot through the elevator shaft directly to the underground third-floor lab, landing with a “thud!” at the shaft’s end.

For an ordinary person, taking such a hit would cost half their health before the fight even began.

But inside stood three level-45 Strength-type beasts and one Intelligence-type brain!

Level 45!

Back when Old Bai wasn’t even this level, he could solo the hive on B6 of the shelter.

With all four founding members of their Super Fierce Corps here, there was no way they’d get wiped by the boss!

The one at the front, [Great Omen of Doom], was completely unfazed, steady as an old dog, while loading his bolter, he also reached over and swiped a white phosphorus grenade from the guy next to him, holding it in his left hand.

“Mission updated! Target: ‘Death Giant Lizard’! Judging by the name, it’s a Trash-kun-type mutant. Prepare incendiary rounds!”

“Attention! Don’t worry about lab equipment, but don’t destroy the relic!”

“Got it!” [Turn Misfortune to Fortune] replied, loading an incendiary round into his bolter, and alongside “Brother Zhao,” they sealed off the corridor from left to right.

[More Ill than Good] and [Turbulent Waves] followed close behind, one carrying a rocket launcher, the other holding a remote control terminal, deploying a half-meter-tall autonomous drone and a quadcopter combat UAV.

The entire four-man squad was like a tank rolling through the corridor, charging fiercely toward the mission target.

At that moment, the giant lizard that had smashed through the isolation wall had its head stuck in the entrance of the escape passage, trying to catch the few little mice hiding inside.

But just then, the sounds echoing through the lab caught its attention.

The threat of death was closing in!

Sensing the undeniable danger, it instinctively pulled its head out, twisted its body, and retreated two steps, its bean-like eyes locking onto the end of the corridor.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the hallway, like war drums gradually beating!

“Hiss—”

The death giant lizard let out a heavy snort, its amber pupils narrowing dangerously.

On the other side, the players with bolters sized it up without restraint, commenting on its twisted form.

“Damn… that’s ugly as hell.”

“Looks a bit like SCP-682, but balder… and a little bigger.”

“Question is, how did these physicists cook this thing up?”

“Maybe it wandered off the set from the biology lab—”

“ROAR—!”

A furious roar cut off their chatter.

The spreading shockwave shook the entire corridor, making the four iron lumps stagger!

Perhaps provoked by their casual reaction, the giant lizard, with scales as deep as a black hole, instantly turned into a charging truck, its massive body twisting as it crushed through the debris-strewn hallway!

Realizing the threat of this “mutant,” [Turn Misfortune to Fortune] stopped being overconfident, hurling the white phosphorus grenade at it while pulling the trigger of his bolter, answering its battle cry with gunfire!

“Bang! Bang! Bang—!”

The 19mm muzzle spat searing flames, spreading a curtain of iron rain across the wide corridor!

Not just a lizard that looked like Trash-kun—even a Super Mutant standing here would be ground to pulp!

But then, something unexpected happened.

The death giant lizard, hit by the bolter rounds, acted as if nothing had happened, letting out only a pained roar before charging forward through the blazing sparks.

As for the phosphorous flames from the grenade, it simply ignored them, darting past in two or three strides!

[Turn Misfortune to Fortune] on the right widened his eyes, blurting out a “Holy shit!”

Charging through a stream of armor-piercing metal jets?!

“Is this thing even carbon-based?!”

“Hell if I know—” [More Ill than Good], carrying the rocket launcher, pulled the trigger, and a white smoke trail shot toward the giant lizard writhing forward.

Barely at the edge of safe distance, the high-explosive rocket hit the lizard’s shoulder!

The blast wave swept through the corridor, shrapnel whistling and scraping against the alloy walls and the power armor’s chest plate.

This rocket did some damage, blasting a palm-sized hole in the giant lizard’s shoulder!

Blood, red so dark it was almost black, dripped onto the floor, sizzling like strong corrosive acid.

[Turn Misfortune to Fortune] swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the lizard, his face full of disbelief.

“No way…”

His buddy had just fired a metallic hydrogen warhead tube!

Even if the armor-piercing effect of high-explosive shells was mediocre, their terrifying explosive power was enough to flip the Chimera armored vehicle over!

Yet that dead lizard was as if nothing had happened—it only lost a layer of skin!

And it didn’t stop there—

The palm-sized wound was healing at a visible rate!

“The expansion pack… is out?”

Staring at the horrifying sight before him, [More Doom Than Good] forced the words out through gritted teeth, until a sharp shout from [Rough Seas] beside him snapped him awake.

“Switch to armor-piercing rounds! What are you standing there for?!”

The ground drone chattered as it poured out sweeping fire, while the grenade launcher slung under its barrel hurled one round after another toward the death giant lizard ahead.

The death giant lizard seemed to have adapted to their attack rhythm; it twisted its neck to take the blows landing on its face, then swung its limbs wide and surged forward in a rapid crawl!

One side of its face was battered, so it turned the other side, alternating eyes to see clearly ahead.

And when that side was also wrecked, the face it had first been beaten into pulp had already restored itself to its original shape.

[More Doom Than Good] had finished reloading and quickly fired a second rocket!

But this time, the death giant lizard seemed prepared—its narrow mouth darted forward with impossible speed, then flicked upward, deflecting the high-speed armor-piercing shell into the ceiling!

“Boom—!”

The armor-piercing shell, capable of penetrating a tank’s side armor, detonated instantly, and burning metal fragments rained down like a brilliant firework across half the corridor.

By now, the four players standing their ground had unleashed their full strength; none dared to take their advantage in gear and levels lightly.

Yet—

In the face of that overwhelming power, mere seriousness no longer seemed enough to solve the problem.

[More Doom Than Good] watched helplessly as the beast simply opened its massive mouth, bit down, twisted—and his leader, [Ominous Sign], was torn in half, armor and all, one half flung to the other end of the corridor.

“Brother Zhao!!” [Turning Misfortune to Fortune]’s eyes instantly turned bloodshot; he dropped his bolter and drew the ceramite combat knife strapped to his arm.

Bolt rounds had a safe-distance limit—at point-blank range, they were useless!

At this range, the knife was better!

“Roar—!”

Bathed in steaming blood, the death giant lizard let out a triumphant roar, then swiped a claw at the tin can beside it.

With a sharp “Clang!” the power-armored [Turning Misfortune to Fortune] was like a cracked oyster; his eyeballs instantly burst and splattered onto the tactical visor of his helmet.

It wasn’t just speed—

Against this off-the-charts combat power, even his most prized strength was mercilessly crushed!

Two teammates fell one after another, and [More Doom Than Good] felt a surge of grief rise from his heart.

“I’ll take you down with me!”

Running was impossible, and at this distance, escape was out of the question.

Without a second thought, he activated the power armor’s self-destruct sequence, then drew his combat knife and lunged forward.

Seeing the prey charging to its death, the death giant lizard grinned savagely, opened its maw wide, and bit down!

Under that space-tearing crushing force, [More Doom Than Good] felt as if he were caught in a door, instantly squeezed into tomato paste by the collapsing steel, spraying out from the fractured shoulder guard!

But this time, it miscalculated—it hadn’t expected the prey in its mouth to explode. With a “Boom!” half its head was blown off, and the nearby drone and unmanned vehicle were sent flying, crashing into the corner like they’d lost gravity.

Yet—

This seemingly fatal blow still hadn’t killed it!

This bizarre lizard seemed unkillable; its dangling half-head gushed out massive clots of blood, and within just a few breaths, it had regrown completely.

Including those amber eyes.

What a pity.

Though the power armor was nuclear-powered, it was still a far cry from a nuclear weapon; the conventional explosives triggering the reactor weren’t enough to set off a tactical nuclear blast.

[Rough Seas], thrown back by the shockwave and slammed against the wall, was utterly stunned.

He sat frozen on the ground, forgetting to get up, watching the monster approach, momentarily robbed of speech.

What the hell… how do you even fight this?!

Its regeneration was stronger than a Deathclaw mother’s, and its combat power surpassed a juiced-up Garbage-kun.

No—

Even Garbage-kun might end up as a snack.

Perhaps the only way left was to blow up the research facility.

The blood-soaked giant lizard grinned at him, like a predator toying with its prey, fixing its amber eyes on this doomed man, but not rushing to bite.

In its eyes, this little mouse was already dead.

The only thing puzzling it was where that intense premonition of death had come from.

Could it be—

That there was a creature stronger than it in this world?

But no matter what, these four mice were clearly no match for it…

Just as the death giant lizard was sizing up its prey within reach, a light but steady footstep suddenly reached its ears, coming from the far end of the corridor.

It slowly turned its head to look, and there, in its bean-sized pupils, a azure-blue power armor and a square iron hammer came into view.

Its eyes narrowed dangerously in an instant, and a low growl rumbled from its throat.

But before it could speak to probe, a gust of wind like a hurricane had already blown against its face.

That was also anti-armor-level force—

And even fiercer than a rocket launcher!

Its massive head flew off like a watermelon hit by a truck, wrapped in countless shreds of flesh and dark red blood clots, splattering across an entire wall.

“Roar—”

Staggering backward with its bulky body, the death giant lizard finally let out a roar, but this time the sound carried a clear note of panic, as if it had caught the eye of a far greater giant.

The shattered half of its head sprouted new flesh buds, stitching together at a visible rate.

But—

A careful observer would notice that its regeneration speed was a full second slower than before!

“I see… So even monsters crawling out of the void aren’t invincible; their self-repair ability weakens with each regeneration.”

“But I’m curious—what provides the energy for this self-repair? Organic matter? Or… like your very existence, does it come from outside the cosmic membrane?”

A calm voice drifted into [Rough Seas]’s ears. He lifted his dazed face, saw the figure emerging from the smoke, and his mouth dropped open into an O.

“Holy shit—”

The Administrator!?

If he remembered correctly, the last time this big shot made a move was during the Torch War, wasn't it?!

He wasn't there at the time, only hearing the players on the forum exaggerate more and more absurdly, saying that single hammer blow tore space itself and extinguished the great Dao...

Obviously, that was bullshit.

Without paying attention to the expression on the face of the player sitting by the wall, Chu Guang tightened his grip on the nitrogen-powered hammer and, under the fearful gaze of the death giant lizard's half-face, took a slow, deliberate step forward.

“Thump——”

The death giant lizard seemed startled, swaying backward and letting out a hoarse roar of intimidation at him.

“Roar——!”

The deafening roar, carrying a weakening sonic wave, blasted toward Chu Guang, but just as it was about to touch his steel breastplate, it was deflected by an invisible wall of air.

The compressed nitrogen was as solid as steel, spreading outward in ripples of wrinkled folds.

But——

That was not yet what Chu Guang was most proud of.

His sequence rank would continuously rise as the players leveled up.

And as the number of players in the server swelled and the various sequence branches iterated and evolved, he had now grown so strong that even he himself felt he was a monster.

Perhaps only this being, suspected to be from the void, was worthy of his personal intervention.

Holding the hammer horizontally before his chest, he took a step forward under the death giant lizard's terrified gaze.

“Let me see——”

“How many times do you have to be killed before you die.”